Its Not Over
by roguerulez
Summary: Set after episode 3x12. Its been 2 months since Veronica ended her relationship with Logan after the revelation of his one night stand with Madison. Both have been trying to move until Veronica learns something that may be the key to reuniting them. Won't be finished. Sorry. Thanks for all the support & kind reviews.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the characters or the show.

**Author's Note:** This is my first Veronica Mars, LoVe story. I'm not sure how good this is or if I should continue it so I'd really appreciate some feedback. Pretty please?

**Its Not Over**

The irony of this moment didn't escape her. It had been two months since Veronica had vehemently denied to her father that she was pregnant after her investigation of the RU486 case. It had been two months since she had broken up with Logan, again (although the time feels so much longer) and here Veronica was, locked in her small bathroom clutching a pregnancy test in her hand and impatiently counting down the seconds till the results would appear.

Time seemed to be moving at a crawl as she waited with barely concealed desperation. She couldn't keep her body still; she tapped her foot impatiently before pacing the length of the tiny room. She was trying, unsuccessfully, not to consider the possible implications the results would bring. How would she feel if the results proved positive? What would she do? Panic and despair began coursing through her body with those questions, threatening to overwhelm her. Veronica shook her head vigorously, determinedly pushing those thoughts out of her head. She refused to entertain such thoughts, not until she was sure of the results. Only then would she panic, or not, depending on what the outcome was.

Her phone buzzed on the counter, the sudden noise making her jump, temporarily distracting herself from her rising panic. Veronica could guess who it was before she glanced at the caller I.D. Piz. Her new boyfriend. She sighed irritably. Veronica remembered that she was supposed to be meeting him for lunch on campus but this moment had demanded more immediate attention and she'd lost track of time. She couldn't allow the uncertainty to plague her any longer.

The phone continued buzzing, the vibration loud and unusually intrusive. She couldn't bring herself to answer the call and hear his annoyingly chipper voice filled with concern asking her where she was and if she was okay. Of course she wasn't okay and she couldn't bear to let anyone see past the façade she'd erected around herself. Not right now when she was so close to losing control. She had never been very good at letting people in, letting people see that vulnerable side of her, even with Logan but he was the only one who had ever really tried.

The phone was still buzzing and Veronica nearly screamed. She had to fight the impulse to smash the phone against the wall. She begged silently: Leave me alone! As if it had heard her thoughts the phone lay still, abruptly silent, the screen flashing missed call. Veronica let out a deep breath and rested her head against the nearest wall, trying to calm herself before she turned her attention back to the test. She would deal with Piz later; right now this was more important. The time was nearly up. She waited breathlessly, gaze focused with Superman precision on the tiny bars that would reveal her fate. The colour changed almost instantly and Veronica felt her stomach drop. Bugger!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **unfortunately i don't own it

**Author's Note:** Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far, i really appreciate it. Here's the the second chapter. I'm not sure where i'm going with this story so any suggestions would be very helpful.

Veronica found herself wandering aimlessly across Hearst campus an hour later, shocked, dazed and downright confused. She knew she was late for her Criminology class but she couldn't seem to muster the strength to face that class today. That was an unexpected turn up for the books. Veronica Mars skipping class? It was unheard of. Unthinkable even. But for once her mind was preoccupied with other things more important than school work or solving cases. Nothing like an unexpected pregnancy with an ex-boyfriend she could barely think of or look at without feeling pain to put things in perspective.

A feeling of numbness had spread throughout her body as she tried to comprehend the sheer enormity of the situation. After everything she had been through the last few weeks, the last through years even, she had begun to believe nothing could possibly take her by surprise. How wrong she could've been?! She couldn't believe this was happening to her. She'd always been so careful! She knew better than anyone the risks of unprotected sex. And she and Logan had always been safe. Hadn't they? Her brow furrowed as she thought about that million dollar question. Her mind was skipping backwards in time as she recalled their most recent nights together. Except that night!

The realization stopped her dead in her tracks right in the middle of the sidewalk. There were sudden curses around her as fellow students jostled and shoved past her in their hurry to get to class but Veronica was barely aware of them as her attention focused on her own internal struggles. She hadn't been careful the night she'd gotten back together with Logan.

_She knocked on the door, nervous, anxious and plagued with indecision, much like that night after the Alterna-prom and she was painfully aware of how badly that had ended. Her mind was racing with a dozen questions: would he want to see her? What should she say? Was he even home? She was strongly aware that he had been the one break up with her. Her mentally rehearsed speech suddenly sounded ridiculous in her mind. Why was she trying to torture herself like this? He didn't want her anymore. This was a mistake. She turned to leave just as the door swung open before her. There he stood, gazing down at her in surprise with sad brown eyes brimming with hope and barely concealed desire. Desire mirrored in her own eyes. She'd missed him so much! _

_Without another thought Veronica flung herself forward into his arms, lips meeting desperately, fingers clutching against clothes, pressing against each other until no space stood between them. His fingers reached up and cupped her face tenderly in his palms as his lips ravaged hers with all consuming passion. Her arms found themselves locked around his neck, pulling him ever closer. They stumbled backwards into the apartment and Logan, unable to bear letting her go even for a second, reached out with his leg to kick the door closed behind them. Veronica didn't think, she didn't breathe, all she was conscious of was her desperate need for him. His warmth, his scent, the feel of his skin on hers, the touch of his lips. Nobody had ever kissed her quite like Logan, not even Duncan. It was one of the things that kept drawing her back to him, that primal attraction that never seemed to fade no matter what issues they always seemed to stumble over. Her skin hummed, she felt like she was floating away and Logan was the kite string keeping her grounded. This was where she belonged and those long, agonizing six weeks of missing him faded away in an instant. As they sank down into the softness of his bed and his lips trailed stomach trembling butterfly kisses down the curve of her neck all coherent thought melted away. Her last thought a quick prayer to whatever higher power was watching that this night would never end._

In her desire to see him protection had been the furthest thought from her mind. And their passion for each other had overpowered everything else as they had embraced; kissing each other hungrily as they'd stumbled backwards toward the bedroom. They had clung to each other with raw desperation, almost afraid to let each other go.

That had been one of the best nights of her life and Logan had never been a slacker in the bedroom department, after all he'd had plenty of practice. A small smile curved her lips at the memory and that ever present dull ache hammered a new in her chest. She missed him so much. Things had been so perfect between them until Madison Sinclair had waltzed back into their lives. That bitch! The familiar resentment flared to life followed by overwhelming jealousy and a violent urge to hurt something. Even now when they were both trying to move on, the pain from that revelation still cut just as deeply.

Veronica shook herself out of the bittersweet memories. Whatever she was going to do she would be better off doing it alone, like she'd always done before. She just couldn't deal with anymore pain right now. That was why she had chosen to move on with Piz. He was safe and reliable; she knew he would never hurt her. Never mind the fact that she knew deep down that she could never feel the same way about him that he felt about her. But she could fool herself if she had to, if it would keep her from getting hurt again.

She was 19 years old, barely an adult and a freshman at college. Getting pregnant was not in her current plan. Was she ready to be a mother, to raise a child right now? She had to figure out her own mind before she could consider involving Logan. Or her father. She grimaced at that thought. Now that was a conversation she knew she didn't want to have, ever! Knowing her father he would probably take that loaded shotgun he kept by his bed and blast bloody holes in Logan's very nice chest. That was definitely not something she wanted to happen despite the bad blood between her and Logan at the moment.

Veronica sighed before continuing walking across the campus, her destination suddenly decided before she'd even really considered it. She needed to talk to Mac. As much as she loved Wallace she knew he wouldn't be particularly helpful in this situation and there was always the risk of running into Piz at their dorm room. She knew she couldn't deal with him right now not until she'd gotten her head straight. Mac was the safest bet. She just hoped that perky Parker wasn't around. She didn't particularly feel like seeing Logan's new beau.

Veronica hovered outside her friend's dorm room struggling to hold back tears. Now that the initial shock had worn off and the reality was starting to sink in Veronica was starting to feel very scared, lost and alone. She was desperate to talk to someone she could trust and Mac was the closet female friend she had. She wasn't expecting a miracle solution just someone she could confide in.

Veronica took a deep, determined breath and knocked quickly on the door before she could change her mind. As she waited impatiently for her friend to answer the door tears spilled from her eyes and slowly slid down her cheeks. She wiped them away with the back of her hand. Please don't be Parker. Please don't be Parker; the silent mantra spiralled through her head as she heard movement within the room. The door opened slowly to reveal a startled looking Logan looking back at her.

'Oh god' Veronica muttered.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** unfortunately i don't own the show or the characters. If i did Veronica & Logan would've been back together by the end of the series and that whole business with Madison would never of happened.

**Authors Note:** I apologize in advance for not being able to update again soon. I have a lot of college work to do unfortunately, but i'll try and get the next chapter up as soon as i can. Please review. They make me happy.

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_This can't be happening!_ Veronica thought frantically completely horrified by this change of events. Of all the times she could run into him this had to be, without a doubt, the absolute worst. She struggled valiantly to compose herself before Logan could notice her mood. The last thing she wanted to deal with right now was his questions.

'Veronica.' Logan looked down at her, seeming genuinely happy to see her. 'What are you doing here?' He frowned then as he gazed at her, his eyes searching hers. 'Are you ok?'

Veronica had to fight the urge to laugh hysterically at that question, of course she wasn't ok but it wasn't like she could tell him that. Not yet anyway. Sometimes she hated how Logan knew her so well. He'd always been good at recognizing her moods no matter how hard she tried to hide them from him. And right now that made covering her emotions from him all the more difficult.

'I'm looking for Mac,' she explained avoiding his second question completely. 'Do you know where she is?' She was hoping to distract him from his scrutiny.

Veronica was refusing to meet his eyes. One look at them and he'd know she was hiding something from him and he'd call her on it. She had to resist the desire to fiddle with her hair, it was a habit she had when she was upset or nervous and Logan had been the one to point that out to her. She suddenly wished she'd had it cut short again so she could avoid the temptation. That was something she might have to consider later.

The last time she'd done something really drastic with her hair it had been just after Lilly's murder and her mom's abandonment. She had done it on a whim to demonstrate to the 09ers that she wasn't the clean cut, good little girl they thought she was. It had been her way of creating the tough girl façade she needed to deal with their torment, to prove to them once and for all that she didn't care what they thought of her. She had soften that image in recent years, since the guilty culprit had been found and she'd been accepted back into that prestigious circle but now she felt the impulse to retreat back behind that mask once more, like a safety blanket. No one had ever bothered her then, they'd been too afraid to. Except Logan that is.

Logan was still watching her carefully, concern evident in his eyes as he absorbed her expression. He still managed to answer her question. 'She and Parker had to go get something, I'm not sure what.' He shrugged. 'They said they'd be back in a minute. You should wait.'

_Not likely_, Veronica thought. There was no way she could maintain her façade if she was forced to endure a prolonged amount of time in his company.

She shook her head 'I have a class to get to. I just wanted to see if she could meet up later. I guess I'll catch her later. Let her know I dropped by will you?' she turned to leave without waiting for his answer. If she could just get out of the building and out of his sight things would be better. She would be able to consider her options again in peace.

She had barely taken a step towards the door before Logan caught her arm and gently turned her back to face him.

'What's wrong Veronica? What's happened?' his tone was gentle, kind, filled with compassion and she hated that it just made her want to collapse in his arms and cry.

'It's nothing Logan. Please just drop it.' She begged, ducking her head so her hair covered her face, keeping it firmly out of sight so he couldn't see the barely contained emotion brimming just below the surface. 'I can't talk about this right now.'

Logan took a deep breath before reaching out and tilting her head towards him so he could look her in the eyes. Veronica instinctively closed her eyes at the touch of his skin on hers, a sharp tingle of electricity coursed through her. His expression was solemn, his mouth pressed into a firm thin line. He could tell that there was something really wrong but he realized that pushing her would only cause her to close down on him. Push too hard and she'd run, he'd experienced that before. As much as it killed him, he knew he'd have to wait for her to be ready to open up to him.

He missed her more than he wanted to admit. He missed talking to her and having her confide in him. Mostly he missed her jokes and the way she could find humour in even the most unlikely of places. Life was never boring with Veronica Mars around. Their friendship had been just as big a part of their relationship as the romance and he missed that easy going, understanding they'd shared between them. No one quite understood him like Veronica did, not even Lilly when she'd been alive.

'I still care about you Veronica.' He told her softly, needing her to know that before he let her go. 'I'm always here if you need me.'

Veronica's eyes filled with tears at those words, remembering the time not very long ago when he'd told her that exact same thing but he'd added, almost bitterly, that she never needed him. She needed him so much right now but couldn't seem to get the words out to tell him that. Logan didn't fail to notice her tears. He hated that he couldn't comfort her and that she wouldn't open up to him. It cut him deeply.

'Thank you,' she whispered so quietly he almost doesn't hear it. 'That means so much.' The tears spilled from her eyes and slide down her cheeks and without another word she hurried from the room leaving Logan staring after her. She kept her head down, not looking where she was going in her vain effort to keep her emotions in check until she was far away from him. She didn't see Parker at the door until she'd walked right into her. Mac wasn't with her.

'I'm sorry,' Veronica said, sobbing as she pushed past the taller blonde and practically raced down the corridor. She rushed out the main door of the building, her only goal now to get to her car before she broke down completely.

Parker watched her go in confusion. 'What's wrong with Veronica?' she asked Logan who had followed Veronica out of the room. Logan didn't reply, he just simply watched as Veronica vanished from his sight, deep concern written all over his features and a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** Not mine cos if it was I wouldn't be obsessing so much over the possible movie and whether or not Jason Dohring will be in it and if Logan & Veronica will be reunited. sigh.

**Author's Note:** So this chapter was finished a lot sooner than I thought it would be. Once I started writing it I couldn't stop. I really enjoyed writing this part, mainly because I love the Keith/Veronica father/daughter relationship so much. I wish Keith were my dad, lol. I want to thank everyone who was kind enough to review so far,** Isilady**, **VmFanFicFanatic**, **Jacedes**, **xxKitKat**, **Jenn6891**,** ladybard327** and in particular **agentnumber1** who's lovely review actually inspired me to keep writing this fic. Thank you everyone and please keep them coming. As i said in the last chapter i have college work i need to work on if i can drag myself away from my computer (fanfic writing is so addictive!) But i'll try to update as soon as i can :)

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Veronica honestly couldn't remember how she'd managed to make her way home that day; from the moment she'd left Mac's dorm room everything was a blur. All she remembered clearly is sobbing bitterly in the safety of her silver Saturn.

The next thing she knew she was sitting in her cosy apartment with Backup resting his muzzle in her lap as she absently stroked his soft fur. His familiar weight was a comfort as she felt his body rise and fall in soothing motions beneath her fingers.

The television was blaring as meaningless commercial bleed with meaningless commercial, advertising pointless and un-necessary items to the mindless masses. Veronica had reached the numb portion of coping now, the complete physical and mental shutdown. The not moving, not thinking, not comprehending approach. She stiffened involuntarily as a diaper commercial came on the screen and reached for the remote immediately. The sudden darkness and silence in the room was instantly un-nerving.

Her phone had been ringing incessantly all night. A never ending cacophony of irritating ring tones, calls from Piz, Wallace, Mac, even Logan once, until she'd been forced to turn it off in desperation. Wallowing was far better than dealing with reality she'd figured. But the lack of sound only made it harder to distract her herself from her thoughts. She'd then spent the better part of the evening religiously cleaning the apartment, something she often resorted to in difficult moments, before settling herself to the comforting task of preparing dinner for her father. The meal, Indian style curry and popadoms had long since been finished and was currently warming in the oven while she waited for her dad to come home from the sheriff's department. The spicy smell lingered within the small apartment bathing it in familiar scents.

She had only made it partly through the cooking procedure before she'd had the overwhelming urge to throw up, whether that was from the anxiety over the news or morning sickness she couldn't say. But as she had stared in odd fascination at the contents in the toilet bowl she had realized that this was an occurrence she would soon have to become accustomed to. It only further hammered home the truth of her condition.

'Why are you sitting here in the dark honey?' Keith's voice interrupted her daze causing Veronica to jerk violently in response. Backup grumbled at the disruption as he was dislodge from his snooze. Keith chuckled in amusement as he flicked on the lights.

The sudden brightness was disorientating and Veronica blinked the dazzle from her eyes. 'Hey daddy,' she greeted absently, not really processing his presence in the current dullness of her mental state.

Keith frowned in concern, instantly on the alert. Veronica rarely called him daddy anymore, not unless there was something bad she had to tell him. He mentally prepared himself for whatever was to come.

'What's wrong sweetheart?'

Veronica took a deep preparatory breath. She really hadn't wanted to tell him this yet but she couldn't keep the news bottled up any longer. She felt like she was going insane!

'There's something I have to tell you,' she said nervously.

'You're not pregnant are you?' he teased. He was startled and confused when Veronica abruptly burst into tears at his joke, realization dawning a moment later. Keith struggled with the onslaught of emotions. He felt angry and disappointed with Veronica and wanted to yell at her for being so stupid. He thought he'd raised her to be more responsible. But she was sobbing uncontrollably and his fatherly instincts, which can't stand the sight of his only daughter so upset, took over.

Without another word he bundled her into his arms and rocked her gently as he whispered soothing words into her ear. Much like he had done when Veronica was a child and had woken screaming from a nightmare. She buried her nose in his chest, seeking comfort from his warm embrace. She sobbed long and loud and hard, soaking his uniform with her salty tears. Veronica was dimly astounded that she had any tears left, she'd thought she'd used up the last of them earlier.

Eventually the racking sobs began to subside and Keith heard her whisper 'I'm so sorry,' the sound was muffled. 'You must be so angry with me.'

He sighed and shook his head. 'I'm not angry sweetheart. I'm disappointed,' he admitted. 'I thought I'd raised you better than this.'

Those words caused fresh tears to slide down her cheeks. 'I know,' she said. 'It was an accident. I'm sorry.'

Keith pulled his handkerchief from his pocket and carefully wiped the tears away. 'You have nothing to be sorry about,' he told her gently. 'I'm here for you no matter what.'

Veronica looked so relieved at those words and she buried her face back into his chest. A weight had been lifted from her mind. As long as her father was there for her, as he'd always been, she felt confident she could face anything.

The silence stretched for a moment before Keith had to ask, tentatively 'When did you find out?'

'Just today,' Veronica said 'I took the test this morning.'

Keith nodded as he absorbed that information. He was relieved that she hadn't been keeping this huge secret from him for too long. He would've been hurt to find out that Veronica felt she wasn't able to confide in him. He was aware that she had this habit sometimes of taking too much upon herself and keeping her emotions bottled up unhealthily.

His next question was even more hesitant 'Who's the father?'

He wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know that answer seeing as a huge part of him was desperate to take his shotgun to the unlucky boy. Keith was also unsure just which of his daughter's current suitors he'd prefer to be the baby's father.

On the one hand he liked Stosh. He was a nice, polite lad who genuinely seemed to care for his daughter. But he could see, despite how it would appeared to the casual observer, that Veronica didn't really reciprocate Stosh's feelings. When it came to his daughter he wasn't as clueless as some people may believe. The last thing he wanted to see was Veronica trapped in a loveless relationship for the sake of a child.

Logan Echolls, on the other hand, was not a particularly reassuring option either. The boy was a master at irritating him. He was volatile, disrespectful and had a short fuse which worried Keith to no end since that summer he'd thrown him out of this very apartment for intimidating his daughter. He was, however, aware of Logan's troubled upbringing and with two deceased parents, one of which not only abused him but was also a murderer, Keith couldn't help but sympathize with him on some level. Even pity him. Keith couldn't imagine ever laying a hand on his daughter and he couldn't begin to comprehend the emotional impact such abuse would have on someone like Logan.

No child should have to experience so much turmoil in so short a lifetime. In that respect Logan and Veronica had a lot in common, it was one of those links that had drawn the two to each other in the first place he realized. Despite his many faults Keith knew how much Logan loved Veronica and for that he couldn't hate him. He had noticed a definite change in Logan's attitude since he'd been dating Veronica and Keith had to conclude that Veronica's influence had been good for him.

Veronica gave a sleepy yawn. So much crying today had really sapped her energy. 'It's Logan's,' she admitted, aware that her father wouldn't be happy by that news. 'Piz and I haven't done _that _yet.'

Keith wasn't very surprised by this revelation but he still had conflicting feelings on that issue. He guessed that Veronica also shared similar conflictions. Keith had been surprised by their break up in the first place. He had witnessed first hand the strength of feeling between the two teenagers. Veronica hadn't been very forthcoming in explanation both times they had split up. But he'd seen how miserable Veronica was without the boy. She wasn't as good at concealing her feelings as she obviously believed. Keith was one hundred percent certain that she was still in love with Logan.

'Have you told him yet?' Keith asked.

Veronica shook her head. 'I'm still trying to get my head round the news myself. I haven't a clue how I'm going to tell him. Or how he'll react.'

Keith sighed audibly. If the boy reacted badly there would be hell to pay. He would guarantee it. 'Whatever happens sweetie, I'm always here for you.' And then, unable to resist he added teasingly 'who's you're daddy?'

Veronica groaned at those words. She always hated it when he said that. A moment later though she burst out laughing. And felt good to laugh after everything that had happened today.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** definitely not mine but I wish Logan was.

**Author's Note: **So I've been researching VM recently cos I'm a new fan of the show (just bought the dvds a few weeks ago) and I'm a little obsessed atm. I found some comments about Kristen Bell not being a fan of the Logan/Veronica pairing. Does anyone know if this is true? I tried to find her comments about it but I couldn't. Why she would be so against them? What could she possibly have against Logan & his sad, lost puppy dog eyes? *sighs* It just bugs me that she would say something like that about a couple who's so perfect for each other, especially when they are so popular with the fans. I read somewhere that that was the reason that series 3 was so poor towards Logan and LoVe because she was so against the relationship and wanted out of it. I was also surprised to discover that a lot of LoVe fans seem to hate Rob Thomas and this confuses me. What exactly did he do to piss fans off so much? Could someone please help clear this up for me? I'd ask on the VM forums but they don't seem to get much activity anymore.

Anyway sorry that this chapter took a while, first I had college work (which I still haven't finished but shhh) then I couldn't work out what to write (I haven't been feeling very inspired lately) and then just when I finished the chapter finally Fanfiction wouldn't let me upload it- something about a technical glitch. I'm not really happy with this chapter but it was necessary so it had to be written. Try not to be put off by the excessive Piz cos I promise he won't be appearing much after this. Also I want to thank everyone who was kind enough to review, I really appreciate it. It keeps me writing. So please press that little button at the bottom of the page and keep them coming. They help keep me inspired. Go on, you know you want to. The fate of all mankind rests on your shoulders *whistles innocently* (sorry for the long author's note btw)

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After a full weekend of reflection, otherwise known as vegging in front of the TV in her pyjamas, Veronica had awoken on Monday morning with fresh determination in mind towards finally get her act back together. It was time to stop hiding from reality and start tackling her problems. She was Veronica Mars after all. She was stronger than this. Veronica Mars didn't hide from her problems, she tackled them face on. And she had finally figured out what needed to be done, starting with Piz.

Although she had never fully processed the options on a conscious level she knew she had already made the decision to keep the baby. Despite her mother's poor example of parenting and her subsequent fears of motherhood abortion had never once entered her mind. Knowing that her father would be there for her no matter what happened was a reassurance and a weight off her mind but she knew that this was a huge life altering event she was going to have to go through and it was time to grow up and start making mature and independent decisions.

With that in mind Veronica showered and dressed, pausing momentarily to examine her side profile in the reflection of the bathroom mirror. She had never really been one to be concerned about her appearance, weight issues had never been an issue, despite the large amounts of food she often shovelled away, but now she couldn't help but examine her belly minutely for any physical sign of change. It was as if the physical sign would somehow bring home the reality of this still surreal situation. But her belly remained perfectly flat and for now she could at least pretend that she was still the sassy teenager she'd always been.

Her father had long since left for work leaving her to eat breakfast alone before making her way to college. She didn't have any classes until the afternoon but she needed to sort things out with Piz sooner rather than later. He'd been trying to contact her all weekend and it was time to deal with his questions, finally. It was the first stop on her agenda for the day. As she waited nervously outside Piz and Wallace's dorm room she was debating exactly what she was going to say to him. This was going to be a very difficult conversation she realized.

When the door swung open Veronica found Wallace grinning at her. 'What up super fly?' he asked cheerfully. 'Where you been all weekend?'

Behind him she could see Piz sitting on his bed playing his guitar. He didn't even look up at Wallace's words; she guessed he was a little miffed that she'd been ignoring his calls all weekend.

'Hey Wallace, I'm sorry. I had some stuff that came up.'

Wallace shrugged that off as he always did. He never really did expect an explanation from her about her activities, it usually involved something dangerous or criminal and he trusted that she had her reasons for not keeping him in the loop. He really was a very good friend to her, Veronica realized once more. He was no Lilly of course but maybe that was a good thing. She'd never consciously tried to replace Lilly but Wallace had become a very good and important part of her life. She knew she probably didn't show her appreciation of that fact as much as she should. She made a mental note to treat him better in the future. Wallace glanced at his watch as he waved her into the room.

'Damn, I'm late for class,' he said 'I guess I'll just leave you crazy lovebirds to it.' He grinned and winked at Piz as he gathered his books. 'Meet you for lunch V?'

Veronica nodded and waved as he headed out the door, relieved that she wouldn't be forced to ask him to give her some privacy as she dealt with Piz. Maybe this would be easier than she thought. Wallace suddenly poked his head back round the door.

'Oh and please try to keep the dirty stuff away from my bed.' He begged teasingly before disappearing again.

Veronica couldn't help but cringe at the innuendo. That was the last thing she wanted to do with Piz right now or maybe ever and she hoped that Piz wouldn't get the wrong idea. She took a deep breath to brace herself before turning to face her boyfriend. She'd never felt this awkward before. This was not going to be a pleasant experience. She forced a fake smile for him as she approached his bed. He hadn't moved from his spot since she'd arrived, his guitar was settled comfortably in his lap. It almost seemed like he was trying to avoid looking at her. An uncomfortable silence had settled over the room.

'So…how's it going?' It was the only opener she could think of. _Lame, lame, lame!_ Her mind was screaming in that moment.

Piz still wouldn't look at her. He gave a small shrug as he fingered the guitar strings, the soft twang his only reply. Veronica sighed; apparently the guitar was more fascinating than she was.

'We need to talk Piz.' She spoke the words in a rush, eager to get this thing over with. It was like what Phoebe had said in _Friends_, fast and quick, just like ripping off a band aid.

Finally Piz looked up at her and his eyes were blank, completely devoid of emotion, everything hidden behind a stony mask.

'I figured as much,' he muttered tonelessly. He was watching her now, waiting expectantly for her to continue.

Veronica began pacing as her mind struggled to form the right words. 'You're a good guy Piz,' she began and saw him visibly deflate. He obviously knew what was coming. 'I don't want to hurt you but I've got too much to deal with right now. It's not fair to you.'

He sighed audibly but his expression was resigned. 'You're breaking up with me aren't you?'

Veronica gave a small sad nod in response, trying to find some words that would make this better for him, that would make this moment easier. For the first time in a long while she came up with nothing. There were no humorous quips or kind words that would help matters right now.

Piz put aside his guitar then and stood up, looking her fully in the face. This was one of the advantages of being with Piz, the fact that he was easier to look in the eyes height wise, unlike Logan who'd always towered over her. It was nice not having to crick her neck to look her boyfriend in the eye occasionally.

Piz ran his hand through his hair before rubbing the back of his neck. 'That's fine Veronica.'

Veronica blinked at him astonished that he was making this so easy. She'd been fully expecting a big fight or harsh words over this, maybe a lamp being thrown against the wall, but he wasn't even appearing that shocked or upset. She couldn't help but frown. Why wasn't he upset? Of course the intelligent part of her mind was saying: just leave it. Get out while the going's good! But the other, not so sane part just had to ask:

'Are you sure you're okay with this Piz?'

She didn't want him to hate her; she really did appreciate his friendship, especially over the last few months after her messy break up with Logan, but some sign of emotion right now would be nice.

He gave a small smile at that question, she noted that the action didn't quite reach his eyes.

'Honestly, I saw this coming Veronica. When your girlfriend avoids you and won't take your calls you kinda get the hint.'

His tone was undeniably bitter and the guilt was enough to make her flinch. The defeated look on his face was more cutting then than any nasty words he could've used against her.

'Thanks for giving me the courtesy of actually making it official though. I appreciate that.' She detected the hint of sarcasm in his voice but forced herself to ignore it.

'Look, that wasn't about you ok?' Veronica was desperate to explain as things rapidly spun out of control. 'I just had some stuff I needed to deal with. I didn't mean to ignore you I swear.'

He shook off her attempt at an explanation.

'Don't bother Veronica. I always knew you didn't feel the same way as me. I guess I just hoped that maybe things would change in time. What an idiot I am!' He was laughing humourlessly now. 'This will teach me to get involved with a girl whose so obviously still hung up on her ex.'

'I'd better go,' Veronica said, making her way towards the door, not wanting things to escalate any further. 'I'm sorry if I caused you any pain. I didn't mean to. I hope we can still be friends.' She knew that was a vain hope really.

'This _is_ about Logan isn't it?' Piz's accusing words halted her in her tracks. She closed her eyes to collect her thoughts before turning back to face him. He was nodding to himself, her actions all the answer he seemed to need.

Veronica crossed her arms across her chest in defence against his accusing glare although she wasn't that surprised he would reach that conclusion so quickly. She was debating just how much truth was necessary to make him understand that this wasn't just to do with Logan. It was more to do with her own state of mind. She couldn't be in a rebound relationship with so much going on in her life. She didn't have the time or the energy to try and make a doomed relationship work and deal with the idea of trying to be a new mother.

'Honestly?' she asked. 'Yes, it's partly to do with him but _this,_' she gestured between them, 'has nothing to do with us getting back together. This decision is mine. It's to do with me. I'm not ready for a relationship right now. Besides it's a moot point. He's with Parker.'

Piz scoffed at that. 'Oh come on Veronica. We both know he'd drop her in a second if he knew there was any chance of being with you. Don't trying fooling yourself thinking otherwise.'

'Maybe that's true,' Veronica admitted, 'but I'm not sure I'm ready to get back together with him just yet.'

That was of course the big dilemma wasn't it? Until she'd figured out exactly what she wanted from Logan she was reluctant to tell him the truth about the pregnancy. She still had no clue how to deal with that particular hurdle just now though she knew he'd have to find out eventually.

Piz could read the uncertainty in her face and frowned, confused. This wasn't the Veronica he was used to. There was something more going on here he knew. He found himself moving closer to her, this dream girl he'd waited so long to be with even though he'd always known it was doomed. Even now when he knew it was over he still found himself wanting to find someway to fit into her life, to be what she wanted him to be. Whether it was as friend or a lover, he wanted to help her somehow. If that made him a fool then so be it.

'What's wrong Veronica? What's going on?' he asked. When he saw her hesitation, despite how much he hated doing it, he pushed the guilt card.

'I think I have a right to some honesty don't you think V? Let me help you.' He reached her side and took her hand in his, giving it a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

'I want to help.' Deep down Piz was still hoping that somehow they could make things work if only she'd just be honest with him. If it wasn't just about Logan there was still some chance, wasn't there?

Veronica shook her head at those words. 'You can't Piz. It's not your problem.'

She'd been trying desperately to get out of this situation without revealing the truth but Piz obviously wasn't going to take no for an answer. Despite his words earlier she could still see the small hope lingering in his eyes. Clearly Piz needed the full truth before he'd understand just why she was doing this. He still wasn't letting go of her hand, effectively keeping her trapped there and Veronica knew she'd have to do it. She needed to quash that hope and make things clear, like she should have done way back when she'd first had an inkling that he'd liked her as more than just a friend.

'I'm pregnant,' she told him finally, looking him firmly in the eyes, making it perfectly clear how utterly serious she was.

'Oh,' Piz muttered, looking completely shocked. He seemed temporarily speechless, his mouth hanging open slightly. He dropped her hand instantly like it was a hot potato burning through the flesh of his skin.

Veronica couldn't help but smirk at his response, more amused than upset by his reaction. It was the response she'd been hoping for after all. She gestured back towards the door. 'I'll just be going then huh?'

Piz wouldn't or couldn't respond to her question. It was like he hadn't even heard it much less understood it.

_One down, one to go_, she thought to herself as she made to leave. _Let's hope bachelor number two has a better reaction. _

She paused at the door and glanced back at Piz who still hadn't moved from his position, his eyes wide and stunned, mouth still open. He was poised almost like a mannequin from a shop window. Veronica fought the curious urge to poke him hard to see if he'd topple over.

'Please don't mention anything to Logan just yet though,' she had to ask for this one final favour. 'I don't want him finding out yet.'

She waited for Piz to nod, the only movement he seemed capable of giving, before exiting the room. She shook her head a little at the way things had just ended but she felt back in control again. She knew what she was doing now and that felt good.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** still not mine

**Author's Note: **Ok, first of all a mini rant: Why the hell has Smallville just been renewed for a **NINTH** series and Veronica Mars couldn't even reach a fourth? Where is the frickin justice in that?! Stupid CW! Sorry, just needed to get that off my chest.

Secondly, thank you all for your replies to my questions in the last update. You've cleared some things up for me and I really appreciate it. Things make more sense now. Also thank you all so much for your awesome reviews, 13 reviews for an update! I think that's a new record for me. As a reward here's an extra long chapter for you all (of course it might not be much of a reward if you don't like it, lol) don't forget to make that little button happy and let me know what you all think, lets try to beat that number huh? ;)

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Veronica had waited until the moment she, Wallace and Mac were all comfortably seated and about to tuck into their lunch in the food court before she dropped the bombshell of her pregnancy on them both. It was needless to say that their reactions to that news were equally comical in proportions. Wallace had proceeded to snort in his cola, spraying the dark liquid across the table and all over Veronica, who had dabbed irritably at the droplets now staining her blue top. While Mac had dropped her barely touched tofu burger in astonishment as they both turned to silently gape at Veronica as if she had just grown another head or had just announced that she was taking up pole dancing at _The Seventh Veil._

Veronica eyed their bug eyed, gaping features with barely concealed mirth.

'You guys take your time,' she said popping a fry in her mouth as she casually waited for them to recover. 'I'll just be sitting right here, eating.'

Moments passed as Veronica munched her meal, both friends continuing to stare at her, obviously waiting for the punch line to drop. Veronica was starting to feel a little uncomfortable by their unrelenting gazes.

She finally pushed her almost full plate away, suddenly losing her appetite.

'Say something, please.' She begged, when she couldn't take the silence any longer, worried that their reactions were worse then she'd originally thought.

'You're serious?' Mac said slowly still looking at her disbelievingly. When Veronica nodded both friends let out long breaths of air and exchanged shocked looks.

'How did this happen?' Wallace said. He seemed considerably dazed by the news.

Veronica had to roll her eyes at the stupidity of that question. 'Do you want me to draw you a diagram or shall I find a couple to demonstrate?'

Wallace, looking un-amused by her attempt at humour, opened his mouth to respond to her quip but Mac was frowning at her plate and interrupted quickly with another question.

'Does Piz know?' she asked tentatively.

Veronica nodded again. 'He knows.' She confirmed.

At that Wallace sat upright, a menacing look crossing his face. 'Piz is the father?' he demanded. He flexed his arms and cracked his knuckles, making moves to leave the table.

'Oh he and I are gonna have some words,' he muttered, fully intending to find his roommate and kick his ass for being stupid enough to knock up his best friend. Veronica had to quickly lay a soothing hand on his arm, trying to calm her friend down before he made a fatal mistake.

'The baby's not Piz's,' she clarified for them both. 'And he knows that. That's why I broke up with him earlier.'

Wallace gave a relieved sigh. He hadn't really been looking forward to the prospect of beating up his friend and roommate, although the break up wasn't really a surprise it was going to make things awkward for everyone from now on. He took a moment to process the news before realization hit him.

'Then that means…' he trailed off into silence and almost in synchronization all three of them turned to gaze across the cafeteria at a table in the far corner where Logan and Parker were laughing together as they ate lunch. The couple seemed oblivious to their sudden audience.

Veronica watched with a stab of jealousy as Logan reached across the table to capture Parker's hand in his. The happy expression on Logan's face hit her heart like a sledge hammer. She hated that he seemed so relaxed and attentive with Parker, when she couldn't help feeling that it should be her he was looking at like that, especially now. But on the other hand she knew that once she told Logan the truth she would be ruining all that happiness he had built these last few months and she couldn't bear the idea of destroying that, especially when she knew it was her own insecurities that were responsible for the break up in the first place. Despite how things had ended between them she didn't hold any grudges. Veronica genuinely wanted Logan to be happy, although a selfish part of her wanted him to only be happy with her but she was doing her best to quash that part. He had moved on and he had every right to be happy with Parker. The last thing she wanted was Logan to feel obligated towards her in anyway and she was desperately afraid that if she told him the truth about the pregnancy that would be how he would feel.

'That guy needs some serious sense knocked into him,' Wallace declared angrily. 'I can't believe he's sitting there like that with her when you're carrying his baby! Do you want me to kick his ass V?'

Veronica nearly laughed at the ludicrous idea of Wallace trying to kick Logan's ass. She was convinced for a single moment that he was kidding but one glance at Wallace's expression quickly made her realize that he was being completely serious. She couldn't even begin to express how bad an idea that would be. Veronica knew better than anyone how good Logan was in a fight; Wallace would not walk away in one piece. She shook her head quickly at Wallace.

'I'm not really sure a rumble in the cafeteria will help much Wallace but thanks for the offer.' She smiled at him, appreciative of her friend's defensiveness even if it was a highly dangerous idea.

'He's not being deliberately cruel. He just doesn't know. I still haven't figured out how to tell him.' She gave a small sigh at those words. 'Or even _if _I should tell him,' she added as an afterthought. Although keeping a pregnancy from Logan when she saw him almost everyday would be nearly impossible she realized as an afterthought.

Mac reached over and gave Veronica's arm a reassuring squeeze, offering her support. 'We're here for you Veronica. Whatever you need.'

Wallace nodded in agreement, stealing some fries from her discarded plate but his forehead was creased and he appeared to be deep in thought.

Veronica was touched by her friends' show of support. It meant so much to her having two such trustworthy friends to turn to when she needed them. She was enormously grateful to them both, she just wished she knew how to show her appreciation better.

'How are you feeling?' Mac asked after she'd finished her burger and had also helped herself to Veronica cold fries, 'Is everything ok with the baby? It's too early to know the sex yet right?'

This was the first time Veronica had directly talked about the pregnancy in any depth; even her dad hadn't really attempted much discussion on the matter after the initial revelation. The whole situation was clearly as uncomfortable for him as it was to her at the moment. The whole 'my teenage daughter is having sex' thought was not something he liked to think about if he could avoid it.

There was an awkward pause before she tried to answer Mac's questions.

'I feel fine right now, no morning sickness so far. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not but I have a doctors appointment soon so I guess I'll find out then.' She made a mental note then to visit the college library soon and check out some books on pregnancy and motherhood so she could understand on what was to come, after all it wasn't something she'd given much thought to before. She hadn't expected to be in this situation till she was at least 30. But knowledge was power after all and she wanted to be prepared.

'Are you scared?' Mac asked next to which Veronica simply shrugged, not willing to answer that question. Of course she was scared but she wasn't used to revealing that fact to anyone, even her closest friends. It went against everything she knew. Fear was a weakness and she had learnt long ago never to let people see any sign of fear no matter what.

As the silence settled back over the table Veronica returned to her covert observation of Logan and Parker. Mac seemed to get the hint and dropped the subject while Wallace was still lost in thought. She was curious as to what was bothering her friend so much; he seemed to be wrestling with something in his mind. Veronica considered questioning him but decided against it. Whatever it was that she was sure Wallace would share it with them when he was ready. _Hmm, maybe she was getting better at this whole respecting people's privacy thing? _She watched as Parker fed Logan some of her chocolate desert and was just considering vomiting from the cuteness of it all when Wallace finally spoke up, distracting her nicely.

'You have to tell him V.' Wallace said with unusual seriousness. He turned his dark eyes on her, an almost pleading look playing on his dark features. 'He has a right to know.'

Veronica frowned, confused with Wallace's sudden concern for her ex-boyfriend. Sure they had become tentative friends over the previous summer after she and Logan had resumed dating but they'd never gone out of their way to hang out together, unless she made them. The most amount of time the two of them had spent together recently was during that prison experiment at the beginning of the year, at least as far as she knew.

'Why are you so concerned about Logan's welfare? She wanted to know.

Wallace gave a small shrug. 'I'm not. It's just…you remember what it was like for me to find out about my dad a couple of years ago.' he was fiddling uncomfortably with his cutlery as he spoke. 'How betrayed I'd felt by my mom. Do you really want something like that to happen to your kid eighteen years down the line?'

Mac was nodding at that, her own family drama playing through her mind. 'And you know how it felt to find out that I was swapped at birth with you know who.' She added. Veronica grimaced at that reference to her arch nemesis. Mac continued undeterred. 'I love my parents but its not pleasant knowing I have a family out there I'll never know. I still have so many unanswered questions. Don't do that to your kid Veronica' she pleaded.

Veronica sighed, knowing ultimately that they were both right. She had witnessed first hand the pain and confusion both friends had gone through with the news of their parentage. Just two more fine examples of parenting she'd been given to learn from. She wouldn't wish something like that on anyone, especially not her own child. A rush of protectiveness overwhelmed her at the thought of _her_ child. She had never consciously considered hiding the truth from Logan, avoidance was much more her thing, but she definitely knew she had to tell him and soon.

'I'll tell him,' she promised them. 'Can't guarantee that he'll appreciate the news but I _will_ tell him.'

They left the food court shortly after, all three of them having classes they needed to get to. Wallace invited them both to Dog Beach that evening after their classes to test run the mechanical plane he'd been working on so hard for the last few weeks. Veronica gladly offered her car to drive them all there, eager to take her mind off her troubles, even if only temporarily, in order to assist Wallace with his project.

As she turned to leave she couldn't resist one final glance back at Logan. Veronica was startled to find him watching her, a raw, undeniable look of longing in the depths of his hazel eyes. She felt that familiar jolt of electricity she'd always experienced with him sizzle through every nerve of her being as their eyes met across the crowded room. The world, her troubles, Mac, Wallace, even Parker, all seemed to float away beneath the intensity of his heated gaze. Her heart was pounding in her ears, her breath catching in her throat as the moment lingered between them. Neither of them were capable of tearing their eyes away from each other, time seemed to stretch between them there, until a student passed between them breaking their line of sight. Veronica took a shaky breath then, closing her eyes to recover her composure. When she opened them again Logan had turned away, returning his attention back to Parker, everything appeared back to normal. Veronica could almost convince herself that the whole thing was all a figment of her overactive imagination, triggered simply by her subconscious desires, except that her heart was still racing in her chest, joined by a renewed and unbearable ache.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **still not mine

**Author's Note:** First thank you all for pointing out my little error in the previous chapter in regards to Mac, I've now fixed the mistake. In my defense, as i probably mentioned in the replies to my reviews, without Logan in the episode i tend not to pay as much attention to detail, lol. Anyway I'm not really sure that this chapter is particularly good, I'm not completely satisfied with it to be honest. I used some of the beach scene from the episode Weevils Wobble but it's mostly AU. This chapter was an interesting experiment for me as i attempted to write the whole thing from Logan's point of view for once. I'm not really sure how successful i was in capturing his character properly, i hope i managed it though. Please let me know what you think. It occurred to me though after I'd written most of this chapter that it's not really necessary to the story but i kind of got carried away trying to understand Logan's POV. Hope you still enjoy it. Thank you all so much for reviewing my story, I'm amazed so many people reviewed last chapter, over twenty this time. It's so amazing to get so many positive responses. Keep them coming :)

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After his lunch with Parker, and having no afternoon classes that day, Logan had arranged to meet Dick at the beach for some quality surf time and prerequisite male bonding.

The thing about surfing is that it's excellent escapism. Once you get in that water you can forget about everything except the sensation of the cold sea water, the feel of the board beneath the length of your body, the reassuring roll of the waves beneath you as you search for that perfect wave. There was nothing like the thrill of successfully riding the crest of a wave; you just could not feel freer and that was why Logan had learned to love it so much.

Surfing had always been his solace from his home life for as far back as he could remember. When things were bad with his dad surfing had been his comfort. And much later with his mother's suicide he had turned to the sport even more, maybe because in some twisted way it made him feel closer to her somehow. The idea that his mom's spirit was lingering somewhere in the place she had died was a subconscious thought he had never fully examined but it was there, hovering at the back of his mind every time he entered the surf.

Of course, recently, his favourite past time had become much more of a haven, a crutch even, to help cope with the breakdown of his turbulent relationship with a certain pesky blonde private detective and today was no exception. Once again surfing was succeeding in chasing all images of a certain Veronica Mars from his mind, as it had done for the last few months. Indeed this was practically the _only _time he was truly able to bury all thoughts of his ex girlfriend for any period of time and after that smoldering look they'd just shared in the food court the distraction was a very welcome relief. It was helping to vanquish that persistent flicker of hope which never fully dissipated no matter what happened between them. It also seemed to be doing a good job of halting the nagging questions that had risen over its possible meanings. Ever since that day Veronica had left Parker's dorm room so abruptly, so upset about…something, Logan was finding himself plagued with more questions than usual and he still was unable to shake that feeling that he was missing something important.

Logan pulled himself from the surf, wetsuit clinging to the contours of his body as he shook the salt water from his hair. He hooked his surfboard beneath his arm as he ambled over to meet Dick who was waiting for him by the shoreline. The blonde surfer was leering at some female sunbathers while absently tugging at his crotch, oblivious to the fact that his actions were obviously being misconstrued by the girls who gave him scathing looks and moved away from him in disgust.

'Man. This wetsuit's like a cheap motel. No ballroom.' Dick said to him by way of greeting.

'Dude,' Logan said. 'Not really a sight people need to see.' He smiled apologetically at an elderly couple nearby who were appearing utterly scandalized. He shoved his best friend away from them.

Logan couldn't contain his smirk however at Dick's discomfort, shaking his head in amusement as they wandered casually up the beach towards his car. He soon found himself tuning out Dick's chatter as he lapsed back into his contemplation over the moment in the cafeteria, barely noticing Dick's lewd comments about the local 'talent' at the beach. Logan was too busy wondering what Veronica was doing right now or _who_ she could be doing to pay much attention.

He hated thinking about Piz and Veronica getting down and dirty. It was a thought that caused more pain than he liked to admit. Just thinking about such things was making him clench his fists tight in jealousy. Logan was desperately trying to block the stomach churning images from his mind of Veronica and Piz engaging in sexual activities in various cringe worthy positions. _Stop torturing yourself! _His mind was screaming to no avail. But such thoughts had been tormenting him to varying degrees since he had witnessed their kiss at Parker's birthday party, though never quite as violently as at this particular moment. That look in the cafeteria seemed to have reawakened new feelings of possession over his ex.

It wasn't that he expected Veronica to remain celibate while he moved on with Parker; after all it had been at his own urging that night that Veronica had gotten together with Piz in the first place. _Stupid, stupid Logan!_ He just couldn't stand the thought of Veronica lying naked and sweaty in Piz's bed, asleep in Piz's arms like she'd once done with him. Veronica had always looked so peaceful and content when she was lying in his own arms, he couldn't help wondering: _was that how she looked with Piz too? Did she think Piz was better in bed than him?_ Logan didn't want to believe that but she seemed so happy with Duncan not so long ago and Duncan's experience level had been far below his own.

His and Veronica's relationship had been one of messy complications since the moment they had first gotten together nearly two years ago and all they ever seemed to encounter were problem after problem. They just were incapable of making things work. _Maybe she was happier with guys like Duncan and Piz?_ She certainly appeared happier. He was a major screw up after all so it was no wonder. But the thought that Veronica was never happy with him succeeded in making Logan's heart constrict painfully.

'I heard Ronnie and that Piss dude broke up.'

Dick's words interrupted his melancholy thoughts; it was almost as if his friend had sensed the current topic on Logan's mind. The familiar names slipped through the filter he often used for Dick's speech. More often than not you could not be paying the slightest bit of attention to Dick's words and still get the general gist of his conversation. And after eight years of interactions with the blonde surfer Logan had developed a fine art in the process

'It's Piz.' Logan corrected automatically even as his head and heart lifted at the news. He paused in his tracks as he tried to absorb this startling development. He felt that tiny spark of hope flare back to life in glorious blaze but he tried to quash it immediately, coming from Dick such news should always be taken with a fine pinch of salt.

'Do you know why?' Logan asked with forced casualness. _Or who dumped who?_ he added silently. He hoped Dick didn't notice the slight desperate tinge to his tone.

Dick gave a brief shrug as a large red model airplane crash landed right in front of them.

'Hey, look, a toy plane.' Dick switched focus immediately, always easily distracted. Logan fought hard to suppress his annoyance. He still needed answers dammit!

In that moment a blur of brown on four paws burst into view, barking excitedly and leaping all over Logan. Surprised, he crouched down to scratch the eager mastiff behind his ears, looking up expectantly to search the surrounding beach. Where Backup was his mistress would surely follow.

'Don't touch the plane!' Wallace cried racing over to them and crouching down to examine his precious _Sea Monkey_. Behind him trailed a reluctant Mac and the girl forever haunting his thoughts. It would seem that escaping the memories would be impossible today. Both girls appeared less than thrilled by this chance meeting and Veronica looked even less happy by the sight of her traitorous dog slobbering all over her ex boyfriend. Logan noted the lack of Piz sniffing after Veronica which added support to Dick's statement.

As they exchanged awkward greetings Logan absorbed the sight of the beautiful blonde with freshly shaved legs beneath short ripped denim shorts. He couldn't help but think how sexy she was looking right now with those gorgeous legs on display. He always did love her legs, it brought to mind happy memories of that previous summer they'd spent together, right here on this beach, just before preparation for college when things started to change.

Veronica was unable to meet his gaze as she shifted her weight between her sandaled feet. Logan frowned as he noticed the concerned look Mac was giving her friend, _what was that all about? _

'Hey, hey. Look who's slumming it at the beach.' Dick was oblivious to the awkward tension between them all and greeted both girls with an inane grin.

'What's up hot legs? Ow!' He leered down at Veronica as he checked out her legs.

'Score one for _Teen People,_' Mac muttered as Veronica glared, focusing her attention upon the ignorant boy, clearly unappreciative of his attention.

'Hey, we're blowing of a little dead-week steam if you kids wanna hang.' Dick offered generously. For some reason that Logan couldn't quite understand he seemed to be aiming that invitation towards Mac in particular.

'We can't. We're helping Wallace,' Veronica's response was immediate and predictable, Logan hadn't expected anything else. He concealed a frustrated sigh. He really wished that they could get past this awkward stage and get back to being friends. He really did miss her.

'Actually, Wallace could use a little time to himself.' Wallace said with an apologetic look at his best friend. Veronica flashed him a stricken look before eying Logan uncomfortably. This was not good.

A short time later Logan and Dick, after depositing their surfboards back in his black Range Rover and changing out of their damp wetsuits, had joined the two girls back on the beach where they were currently in the process of sitting awkwardly in silence around a smoking fire pit, while Wallace worked on his engineering project further down the beach. Backup was exploring happily nearby and occasionally they would each throw the rubber ball across the sand to keep him occupied.

Logan was drinking from his beer can and watching Veronica surreptitiously as he considered the various topics of conversation he could offer up to breech the silence. Although the single most dominant topic currently on his mind at present, namely the apparent break up with Piz, was not one he could broach in this particular company. Veronica was always much more defensive when surrounded by her friends and he knew she wouldn't appreciate discussing something so personal in front of Dick, maybe she wouldn't even appreciate talking with him about it either but, glutton for punishment or not, he would have to try.

'I feel so bad for Wallace. He needs more thrust.' Mac said as she watched Wallace working. Dick sniggered at those words and Logan smiled, knowing exactly what Dick was thinking.

'Don't say it.' Logan said, warningly to his friend and Dick seemed to make a momentary effort to control himself. But for Dick it seemed to be an impossibility to keep himself under control even once and the words burst unchecked from his lips.

'That's what she said.'

Despite himself, Logan laughed along with Dick at the slight to Wallace's sexual prowess, both Veronica and Mac looking merely confused by the comment and the boys' reactions. Mac gave Dick an annoyed look though, clearly at least understanding that the comment wasn't particularly nice about their friend. She appeared to be even more intolerant of Dick than Veronica, which was quite an impressive feat in itself Logan was thinking as Mac stood up.

'I think I'm gonna go help Wallace.' she announced and without another glance back at them, set off purposely across the beach towards Wallace. If she had any concerns about leaving her best friend alone with her ex and his jackass friend she didn't show it.

Before Logan could offer any apologies for Dick and his behaviour to Veronica, who looked about ready to bolt at any moment, Dick stood up too.

'Hey Mac, wait up,' he called as he ambled after her.

Logan frowned after his friend, surprised and a little perplexed by his actions. _Why was he so bothered about Mac anyway? _He was so busy watching Dick's interaction with Mac further down the beach and trying to work out if his unusual behaviour was the result of a recent head injury (which knowing Dick was very likely) or if Dick was genuinely interested in the super smart computer nerd that it took him a moment to realize he was now alone with Veronica.

He glanced sideways over at her and saw that she was fiddling with the towel she had draped over her legs in an effort to maintain some modesty, or to avoid Dick's leery eyes. She seemed nervous for some reason and distracted, as if she were wrestling with something in her mind. Veronica looked up at him then, accidentally catching his eye and their gazes slid away from each other in an instant. She flushed as she looked away, embarrassed for some strange reason.

Logan had many questions he wanted to ask but they stuck in his throat when he glanced over again at Dick and Mac further down the beach. He was just in time to see Dick leaning in to kiss Mac, the startled girl quickly shove his face aside before he could connect and then hurrying away from his luckless friend. Logan was too astounded by the action to laugh at Dick's lack of success as the hapless boy watched Mac leave with an obvious forlorn look on his face.

Clearly Veronica was as gobsmacked as he was. 'Did that just happen?' she demanded. 'Did your best friend just try and kiss my best friend?'

'Dick's just being Dick,' Logan said with a shrug, but he wasn't so sure that was really the case. Yes he knew that Dick didn't distinguish much between the female sexes, if they had the requisite parts Dick was usually interested, but upon reflection Logan realized that Dick had been treating Mac differently lately. He made a mental note to keep an eye on this new development.

'Guess you can't blame the guy for trying,' he added feeling it necessary to at least attempt to defend his friend.

Veronica scoffed. 'Does he have to try with my friend?'

Logan frowned, slightly irritated by her disparaging tone, but he chose not to rise to the bait. He really didn't want to start another fight with Veronica right now.

'Beer?' he asked, changing the subject with an offer of a cold beverage. Veronica hesitated for a moment then crinkled her nose up at the drink, shaking her head.

'No thank you.'

He watched her carefully for a moment, trying to gage her mood before finally taking the plunge. 'I heard about Piz.'

Veronica blinked at him in astonishment. 'How did you know about that? Are we on _Gossip Girl _or something?' she peered up and down the beach for a moment looking for something. 'I only broke up with him this morning.'

'Dick told me.' Logan said. He tried to keep away the wide grin that was threatening to spread over his features as he silently delighted in the confirmation of that glorious news. He wanted to do a little dance to celebrate a la Chandler Bing in _Friends_ but figured that would make his joy a little too apparent to her.

'How the hell did he find out?'

Logan shrugged his shoulders again. 'He's Dick. If it involves a hot female he usually knows about it.' He smirked at her. 'It's like radar or something.'

Veronica rolled her eyes. 'Remind me to taser him sometime.'

He chuckled and then asked with complete seriousness, 'Do you want to talk about it?'

'Yeah sure,' was Veronica's glib response. 'We'll talk about my love life and you can talk about yours and then we can read _Vogue_ and watch chick flicks.' She gave a sudden gasp and clapped excitedly. 'We could braid each other's hair too!'

'Only if you promise to paint my nails first.' Logan joked, grinning with good humour as Veronica struggled not to laugh.

'Deal' she said.

They high fived each other and then laughed loudly as their eyes met. It was suddenly like old times again, just two old friends reveling in familiar bonds of companionship that spanned nearly a decade; Logan hoped things could stay like this just for a while.

He seized upon that resurgence of friendship. 'Seriously Ronnie. If you want to talk about it…we're friends right? You can tell me anything.'

Veronica's expression turned serious, the laughter dying away, and he noticed a hint of apprehension in her eyes. 'It's not that simple Logan.' She said with a tired sigh, her gaze suddenly focused firmly on the ocean in the distance.

'Why not?' Logan asked, puzzled at the change in mood. _Why is she making things so difficult?_

'Do you remember that night we got back together a few months ago?' Veronica asked seemingly at random, the left field question taking him by surprise.

Logan nodded as his mind recalled that night once more with amazing clarity, every detail emblazoned upon his memory. _How could he forget? _It had been one of the best moments of his life. But then most moments he shared with Veronica were special to him, treasured in his heart. Those memories always a shining beacon of happiness he could cling to in the dark. The night they'd reunited had particularly fond memories for him, a long night of passion, tenderness and undeniable love he had only ever truly experienced in Veronica's arms.

In retrospect it might have been a mistake getting back together so quickly but when Veronica had appeared at his door six weeks after their initial breakup all legitimate reasons for the original decision vanished at the sight of the pain and longing in those sad blue eyes, an identical mirror for his own brown ones. His misery had been unbearable in those few short weeks apart and seeing her standing there before him equally miserable had made it impossible to resist her.

'What is it?' Logan asked when Veronica hesitated, his tone harsher than he had intended but he was finding it increasingly difficult to keep his boiling frustration contained.

Veronica concentrated her attention on the ground beneath her feet, using the heel of her sandal to trace patterns in the sand as she considered how to say what was on her mind. She took a moment to steel herself before turning to him determinedly, raw emotion evident in her eyes, ready to finally reveal whatever secret she was hiding from him, just as Dick flopped back down beside them.

Logan saw Veronica close down immediately at his friend's reappearance, the mask slipping firmly back into place and in an uncommon burst of aggression he wanted to punch his friend for his poor timing. He clenched his fists once again this time in an effort to restrain himself. If only Dick could of waited just a few more minutes!

'Looks like your friend got his toy fixed.' Dick told Veronica, looking back over his shoulder towards where Mac and Wallace were standing. They both followed his line of sight and saw the red plane back home in the skies, soaring easily through the air.

'Oh,' Veronica was on her feet immediately and gathered her stuff quickly, 'I'd better get going. See you guys later.' She hurried away without a single backwards glance at Logan but she could feel his gaze burning into her back as she walked away.

'See ya Ronnie.' Dick waved after her as he helped himself to a fresh beer from the cooler.

Logan shifted his attention back to Dick who was lounging casually back in his seat completely unaware, as usual, of the private moment he had just intruded upon. Logan fixed his friend with a deadly glare.

'What?' Dick asked innocently.

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How much do you all hate me now? lol. I promise that Logan will find out next chapter, i just got a little sidetracked, lol. Anyway don't forget to let me know what you think. Reviews keep me writing :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** not mine

**Author's Note:** Sorry this took longer than I intended to put up but I was really struggling to write this chapter. It just was not flowing for me like usual. This chapter was supposed to cover both the revelation and the confrontation between Logan and Veronica but I just can't write anymore atm so I cut the chapter in half. I figured at least this part covers the moment when Logan finds out which I know you all want to see. I'll get the confrontation bit up when I can so please be patient. I just have a lot of stuff to do right now and not much time to concentrate on writing. Hope this part is ok, please keep the reviews coming. I need all the encouragement I can get right now. And thank you all again for your awesome reviews. They really make my day :)

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Logan was still obviously pissed with him for interrupting what was, Dick realized belatedly, a private discussion with Veronica at the beach so he had graciously retired to his bedroom for the rest of the evening to give his irritated friend his space. Okay, so maybe Logan had mentioned something about Dick getting out of his sight but it had been his own decision to hideout in his room, he would swear it. He was in no way intimidated by Logan's wrath. Not at all.

It's not as if he had known that there was something up with Ronnie. Aside from the obvious hotness factor Dick didn't concern himself much with the tiny blonde's activities. He firmly believed that Veronica Mars was more trouble than she was worth. After all, look at what happened to Logan when he was with her. Totally, completely, one hundred percent whipped! Dick shook his head sadly. It was such a shame to see what the former king of the 09ers had been reduced to by a few batters of Veronica's lashes. Ronnie was like rich guy kryptonite and Dick was determined to avoid ever enduring that experience. He was a man. No female would ever remove his balls.

Dick occupied himself with his daily ritual pursuit while he waited for his room service, browsing his laptop for pleasurable activities, namely porn. He had always turned to porn in a crisis, and with the anniversary of his brother's death coming up and his father, Dick Senior, back in town wanting to spend quality father/son time before his long stint in jail, he certainly needed the distraction. It wasn't so much his dad's reappearance that was getting to him but the painful reminders of Cassidy and his utter failure as an older brother that his father's return was ultimately stirring.

He was still unable to shake that deep, immovable guilt he'd been harbouring for the better part of a year for the role he had played in Beaver's tragic ending. Dick knew his treatment of his younger brother, the merciless teasing, the humourless pranks, must have contributed in some way towards Beaver's actions and his death. He would give anything now to go back and do things differently, to have tried to have had some positive effect on Beaver's short pain filled existence. If he had known about the abuse his brother had suffered through or the consequences his and his father's attitudes towards Beaver would have maybe he could have done something, anything to prevent the tragedy. It was a thought that was continuing to haunt him on an almost daily basis.

Forcing himself to shake off such heavy thoughts he tended to avoid, Dick was concentrating on browsing BustyAsianBeauties[dot]com. (**A/N: taken from Supernatural, I don't actually browse for porn, lol**) when the email from Chip Diller appeared in his inbox. Predicting something good, Chip Diller never sent anything that wasn't worthwhile, Dick eagerly clicked the attached link without a moment's hesitation and sat back poised in anticipation. He watched the video for a moment, his brow furrowing when he saw Veronica appear on the small screen. She was with that dude with the weird name he could never remember properly in what he could only assume was the guy's dorm room. This wasn't what he was expecting. _What was so interesting about this?_ As attractive as V. was video footage of her dumping that Zac Efron wannabe was not his idea of fun time, unless the Piss guy started crying, in which case it might be worth it. _Maybe he should get some popcorn? _

He gave a disappointed sigh when no tears were forthcoming and moved the arrow pointer to the delete button until Veronica's words halted his actions. Dick's eyebrows lifted in surprise as he realized what she was saying. _Uh oh,_ he thought.

Logan ended the phone call with a heavy sigh, dropping the phone back into its cradle. Lying to Parker in order to avoid a date was pretty despicable and he felt terrible about it but he couldn't bear facing her tonight. He just didn't want to spend an evening faking his feelings again.

Parker was a sweet girl, a lot of fun to be with and a welcome distraction, he genuinely did care for her but not in the way he had hoped or in the way she had hoped either. His heart was still inextricably linked to Veronica and, if anything, their interaction at the beach had highlighted that to him. No matter how hard Logan tried with Parker he knew it wasn't working. He was aware that he was probably being hypocritical thinking about dumping Parker just because Veronica was suddenly available but he couldn't keep stringing her along in his little charade; it wasn't fair to either of them. It had been a mistake dating her in the first place he could admit now, she had never been more than a rebound relationship. He had experienced himself with Lilly just how unpleasant a feeling it was being involved with someone who clearly wasn't reciprocating your feelings; he wouldn't wish that on anyone. So he knew one way or another that he would have to end it and soon.

Picking up the remote and flopping down on the couch Logan flicked idly through the channels looking for some mindless entertainment to capture his attention and distract him from his guilt. He noticed out of the corner of his eye Dick's blonde head peeking out of his bedroom door before he disappeared back into his room. Logan frowned after his friend but dismissed it as normal Dick behaviour as he returned his attention back to the poker game on screen. A moment later Dick returned to the door, hovering there for a minute clearly indecisive as he waited for Logan to notice him. Once again Dick disappeared back into the room as soon as Logan looked over at him.

'Dude, what are you doing?' Logan asked, baffled by Dick's bizarre behaviour.

He was still harbouring some resentment towards Dick for interrupting that moment with Veronica earlier and he wanted to ignore him for a while but unfortunately his friend's actions were becoming a distraction. If Dick wanted to play hide and seek again he would be sorely disappointed.

Dick emerged again from the bedroom, this time clutching his laptop in his arms. He was looking at Logan worriedly; his expression so un-Dick like then that Logan felt a flood of dread wash over him.

'Man, I'm not sure I should show you this.' Dick said looking down at him nervously.

'What is it?' Logan asked with impatience as a dozen possibilities raced through his mind. It had to be bad for Dick to be looking so concerned. It was an extremely rare occurrence for the usually care free boy.

'Well, you have to see it. I can't say the words out loud.'

Dick hurried over to Logan and placed the laptop down on the coffee table in front of him. He stepped back, perching down on the arm of the couch and gestured towards the computer screen.

'It's cued up. Just hit the space bar.'

Logan frowned over at Dick. He wasn't entirely certain he wanted to witness whatever this was but he hit the button anyway, leaning forward to watch as the video began to play.

'That's Veronica.' Dick said as Logan saw the familiar blonde figure appear into view. Logan rolled his eyes at his friend's unnecessary statement, as if he were incapable of recognizing his own ex girlfriend.

'Yeah, I'm aware of that.' Logan replied, eyes focused intently upon the screen. There was no doubt that it was Veronica; the question was why was Veronica being recorded and also, more importantly, why Dick showing this to him?

He had an uneasy feeling building in the pit of his stomach which was only partly due to the fact that he was seeing a private moment that had somehow been captured on video. This whole thing was an uncomfortable reminder of a certain sex tape between Aaron and Lilly he had endured last year; a pain filled, and stomach churning experience he had hoped never to repeat. He desperately hoped that this video was not a similar occurrence. If he was about to witness a sex act between Piz and Veronica he would not only lose his lunch, he might not be able to control his reaction. Piz would pay for this humiliation against Veronica; he would make sure of that. He would not allow another one of his girlfriends to be an unwitting pawn in some pervert's sick game. He curled his fists reflexively, already anticipating his brutal punishment for this crime.

Logan allowed himself a moment's relief when he realized that his instinctive assumption was false, that the video was displaying a break up instead of a sex act, before glancing back at Dick, ready to chastise him for evidently enjoying the spectacle. While Logan knew that a small part of him was secretly enjoying seeing Piz get dumped (and now he had that answer to the question of who dumped who) he was also feeling some measure of sympathy towards the radio DJ for this horrible humiliation. He was aware that a younger jackass-y Logan might have relished this opportunity to dethrone his love rival so publicly but the older, more mature Logan, who had endured more pain in the past three years than any normal teenager should ever have to suffer, could not find the humour in the moment. He understood how unpleasant the experience could be, he had shared it himself when his father's scandalous behaviour two years previously had been made public and the ensuing media frenzy those revelations had caused. It was not something anyone should ever have to put up with.

'Keep watching,' Dick urged. 'The important bit is coming.'

Logan was surprised to note that contrary to what he had believed Dick did not seem to be enjoying what he was watching. He was shooting Logan small anxious glances. _What the hell was going on? _The answer to that question came moments later.

'I'm pregnant.' Veronica told Piz then and the words were so unexpected that for a moment Logan felt sure he must have misheard them. Clearly Piz was feeling exactly the same sentiments judging by his gaping fish expression on the screen. Logan couldn't see his own reflection but he felt sure it must be a mirror image of Piz's right then. It suddenly felt as if Logan had been sucked through into the computer screen and was standing in Piz's place in that dorm room. The shocking punch to his gut certainly made it feel that way. Before Logan's mind could even begin to process this shocking news, her next words turned his entire world completely upside down.

'Don't mention anything to Logan. I don't want him finding out yet.' Veronica begged Piz on the screen before she left.

Logan was still staring blankly at the computer as the video ran its course and the screen went black. He struggled to comprehend what he had just heard and its implications. Veronica's words echoed in his ears, the mantra rising in volume as the realization slowly sank in. The final pieces of the jigsaw puzzle fell firmly into place, everything suddenly made terrifying sense: Veronica's distress the other day at Parker's dorm room, her strange behaviour just today at the beach. Veronica was pregnant and he was the father!

'My condolences, dude.' Dick's words broke the heavy silence.

Logan could barely hear his friend's words through his fog of confusion. He felt like he was drowning in a tidal wave of conflicting emotions as he struggled to claw for fresh air and solid ground. He was undeniably shocked by this sudden, life altering revelation and he felt anger towards Veronica for neglecting to tell him the truth but mostly he just felt shit scared. He was too young. He wasn't ready to be a father yet especially not considering the example his own father had set for him. Logan had never put much thought into being a parent, after all who does when they're nineteen and carefree? The possibility of parenthood had been so far off into the future that he had never concerned himself with it before except to know that it was not something he really longed for. He wanted to avoid the possibility of damaging a kid the way his father had damaged him. The very idea of unwittingly subjecting his own child to the abuse and misery he himself had experienced at his father's hands terrified him. He didn't want that responsibility! Panic was bubbling over within him, an unstoppable monster of self doubt preying on his every thought.

Dick was watching Logan with apprehension, clearly expecting Logan to explode at any second. Dick wanted to say something more, a joke or a comment to lighten the dark atmosphere but was he quick enough to recognize that now was not the time for his smart ass remarks. A knock at the door thankfully distracted Dick from Logan's crisis. As he rose to answer it he glanced back over his shoulder at his frozen friend. Comfort had never been his strong point and he wasn't quite sure what he should be saying or doing to help Logan with this news. In all honesty he was as stunned as Logan appeared to be, except he had the relief of knowing that it wasn't he that was about to become a father. Still, it was a definite mood killer that's for sure but at least Logan was too preoccupied right now to be angry with him anymore.

Dick opened the door fully expecting the room service finally, only to see Veronica standing there. She was looking like she wished she was as far away from here as possible and Dick could totally understand why.

'Ronnie,' he greeted quietly with a cautious look over at Logan to see if he'd noticed.

'Is Logan here? I need to talk to him,' she said without any preamble.

Dick considered lying but with Veronica he had learnt the hard way that that was usually a very bad idea. Besides, the sooner they got this little confrontation out of the way the better it would be for everyone, especially for him who wasn't looking forward to tip toeing around Logan for the foreseeable future. Dick stepped aside and gestured for Veronica to step inside the suite before making his excuses. After all he didn't want to be around for the inevitable explosion.

'Gotta boogie,' he told her as he passed by her on his way out the door. 'Oh and Ronnie,' he called, walking backwards towards the elevator as he addressed her, 'don't worry, you still look smoking hot to me.'


End file.
